Railroad-gate



2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

(No Model.)

W. H. CLOSE. RAILROAD GATE. N0. 4 3,485 Patented Nov. 17, 1891.

ATTORNEYS 2 t 6 6 h S w 6 e h S 2 H A 0 L 0 m H .1 W R (No Model.)

Patented'Nov. 17,1891.

//v VEN 70/1 By W 9 ATTORNEYS ATENT Erich.

WILBUR ll. CLOSE, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

RAI LROAD-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,485, dated November17, 1891.

Application filed May 6, 1891. Serial No. 391,748. (No model.) 7

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILBUR H. CLosE, of Atlanta, in the county of Fultonand State of Georgia, have invented a new and Improved Railroad-Gate, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is an improvement in that class of railroad-gates whichare adapted to be opened and closed by contact of a locomotive withpivoted arms connected with said gates by suitable mechanism.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement as applied and in an openposition. Fig.2 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line a;as of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the improvement in a closedposition. Fig. 4. is a sectional side elevation of part of the same onthe line 3 y of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of theshifting-levers.

The crossing A of a railroad-track B has at either side of the trackbarriers 0, each fulcrumed on a pivot D, secured in a post E,

erected alongside the track, as is plainly illustrated in the drawings.The inner end of each barrier O is connected by a rope or chain F with aweight F, fitted to slide loosely in.

suitable guideways E, formed in the respective post E, the said weightserving to hold the barrier in its uppermost position, as is shown inFigs. 1 and 2, the inner ends of the respective barriers resting onprojections E of the post, which prevent them from assuming a verticalposition. "The weight F in each post E is adapted to be engaged andraised bya block G, fitted to slide in the guideways E below the weightF. The block G is pivotally connected by a link H with a crankarm I,held on the end of a shaft J, extending transversely under thetrack-rails and mounted to turn in suitable bearings secured to therails, as seen in Figs. 2 and 4.

On the shaft J and between the two rails of the track are arranged thecrank-arms J and J, extending at right'angles to eachother and bothrigidly connected with the longitudinally-extending parts of an endlessrope or chain K, arranged in a square and passing at one end over setsof pulleys L, located some distance to one side of the barrier O, theother end of the endless chain or rope passing over sets of pulleys L,arranged a suitable distance on the other side of the post E. The partsK and K of the endless rope or chain K, extending between the sets ofpulleys L and L, are connected with levers N and N, pivoted on the tiesof the track and pivotally connected with transversely-extending rods 0and 0, respectively, which rods reach at their ends to the outside ofthe rails. The rod 0 is pivotally connected at its ends with the leversP and P, pivoted on the ties on the outside of the track-rails and eachprovided with an arm or projection P P adapted to be engaged by thecow-catcher or other projection on the locomotive. The le vers P and Pare so arranged that when the arm P is close to the rail, as shown inFig. 1, it willbe engaged by the cow-catcher or pro jection, and thenthe other arm P is in an outermost position and out of the reach of thesaid cow-catcher or projection. When the position of the rod 0 isreversed, as shown in Fig. 3,-then the-arm P is adapted to be engaged bythe cow-catcher when the train passes in an opposite direction over thetrack and after leaving the crossing. Similar levers Q and Qareconnected with the rod 0, the said levers carrying projections Q and Qadapted to be engaged by the cow-catcher or other projection of thelocomotive.

The operation is as follows: lVhen the device is in the position shownin Figs. 1 and2, the barriers O are in their uppermost position and thecrossing A is open. Now when a train approaches the crossing in thedirection of the arrow a, the cow-catcherengages the arm P of the leverPand causes aswinging of the said lever, so that the shifting of the rod0 takes place. This movement of the rod 0 causes a swinging of the leverN, whereby motion is imparted to the endless rope or chain K, which byits connection with the crank-arms J and J turns the shaft J in thedirection of the arrow 12'. (See Fig. 2.) This movement of the shaft Jcauses the crank-arm I to push the links H upward, so that the blocks Gslide upward in their guideways E, thus raising the weights F andthereby releasing the draft on the inner ends of the barriers O. Thelatter by their own weight swing downward, thus closing the crossing.The shifting of the rod 0 and consequent movement of the rope K causes ashifting of the rod 0, so that the arm Q swings outward and the arm Q ismoved close to the outside of its rail. Now when the train has left thecrossing one side of the cow-catcher of the locomotive engages the arm Qthus causing the lever Q to swing, so that the rod 0 is shifted to itsformer position, as shown in Fig. 1. This movement of the rod 0' causesa swinging of the lever N, whereby the rope or chain K is moved in anopposite direction, and the shaft J is turned back to its formerposition. (Illustrated in Fig. 1.) The turning of the shaft J in theinverse direction of the arrow 1) causes the blocks G tobe moveddownward, so that the weights F are free to slide downward and, by theirconnection with the inner ends of the barriers C, return the latter totheir inclined position, (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) thus opening thecrossing. In case a train approaches the crossing A in the oppositedirection of the arrow to, then the arm Q of the lever Q is acted uponand the above-described operation is repeated that is, the rope or chainK is moved to turn the shaft J in the direction of the arrow (2' toclose the barrier C, and when the train has left the crossing thecowcatcher strikes the arm P of the lever P to again open the barrier,as above described. Thus, no matter which way the train arrives, thebarriers are automatically opened and closed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railroad-gate, the combination, with swinging barriers, eachprovided near its pivoted end with a weight for holding the barrier inits uppermost position, of a block adapted to engage and support thesaid weight, a link pivotally connected with the said block, atransverse shaft carrying crank-arms c011- nected with the said links,and an endless rope or chain connected with crank-arms on the said shaftto operate the latter, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a railroad-gate, the combination, with swinging barriers, eachprovided near its pivoted end with a weight for holding the barrier inits uppermost position, of blocks adapted to engage and support the saidweight,

,iinks pivotally connected with the said blocks,

a transverse shaft carrying crank-arms connected with the said links, anendless rope or chain connected with crank-arms on the said shaft tooperate the latter, and levers, each provided with an arm adapted to beengaged by the cow-catcher or a projection on the 10- comotive, the saidlevers controlling the movement of the said rope or chain, substantiallyas shown and described.

3. In a railroad-gate, the combination, with swinging barriers, eachprovided near its pivoted end with a weight for holding the barrier inits uppermost position, of blocks adapted to engage and support the saidweights, links pivotally connected with the said blocks, a transverseshaft carrying crank-arms connected with the said links, an endless ropeor chain connected with crank-arms on the said shaft to operate thelatter, sets of levers arranged on each side of the crossing near therailroad-track, each lever being provided with an arm adapted to beengaged by the cowcatcher or a projection on the locomotive, a rod forconnecting the two levers of a set with each other, and a second leverconnecting each rod with the said rope or chain, substantially as shownand described.

4. In a railroad-gate, the combination, with swinging barriers, eachprovided near its pivoted end with a weight for holding the barrier inan uppermost position, of blocks adapted to engage and support the saidweights, links pivotally connected with the said blocks, a transverseshaft carrying crank-arms connected with the said links, an endless ropeor chain connected with crank-arms on the said shaft to operate thelatter, sets of levers arranged on each side of the crossing near therailroad-track, each lever being provided with an arm adapted to beengaged by the cocatcher or a projection on the locomotive, a rod forconnecting the two levers of a set with each other, a second leverconnecting each rod with the said rope or chain, and sets of pulleysover which the said rope or chain passes, substantially as shown anddescribed.

WVILBUR II. CLOSE.

\Vitnesses:

C. W. WURKING, Jr., W. G, LEAs.

